Learning objectives
The main objective of this course is to provide students the basic knowledge of food sensorial and physical properties and their means of characterization. In particular, the student should be able to:
1. know how to understand the main physical and sensory properties of solid and liquid food products, in relation to the relative process conditions. (Knowledge and understanding).
2. to relate the main process variables to the physical and sensorial characteristics of the products, and compare the effects of the processes on the products of the same food category (Use of knowledge and understanding).
3. have the tools to start developing an autonomous ability to draw conclusions thanks to the ability learned, to improve own research ability for gathering data and information, in order to evaluate them and use the most appropriate ones to formulate answers to simple and well-defined problems in the sector (Autonomy of judgment) .
4. communicate the informations learned about the products and processes of the food sector to other experts or non-experts in the sector, and when started to work, to superiors and / or customers. (Communication skills)
5. to connect the different topics dealt with each other and with the basic and related disciplines and to have obtained the cultural tools and the bases to undertake the studies of the master's degree in food sciences and technologies with high autonomy (Learning ability)
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge on unit operations, food chemistry and food microbiology are strictly requested. Moreover, basics of physiscs and statistics are requested.
Course unit content
Basic concepts of rheology of fluids and solids
Analytical techniques to measure viscosity, and texture of food
Water activity and its measure
Image analysis
Color and its measure
Colloids and emulsions
Sensory analysis
Full programme
Basic concepts of rheology of fluids and solids . Analytical techniques to measure viscosity, and texture of foods. Water activity and its measure, Evaluation of food stability.
Image analysis. Color and its measure, expression of analytical data in different colour spaces. Colloids and emulsions. Discriminant tests and preference procedures for the Sensory analysis of foods.
Bibliography
Sensory evaluation of food: principles and practices, H.T. Lawless, H. Heymann, Chapman & Hall, New York, NY, 1998
Sensory evaluation techniques 3rd edition, Meilgaard, Civile, Carr, CRC Press, 1999
Valutazione sensoriale: Aspetti teorici, pratici e metodologici, E. Pagliarini, Hoepli, Milano, 2002
Food texture and viscosity, concept and measurement, 2nd edition, Bourne, Academic Press, Food Science and Technology, International Series
Image analysis of food microstructure, Russ, CRC Press, 2005
Lectures notes
Teaching methods
Lectures are carried out with the assistance of slides provided to the students.
The lessons will be organized face-to-face with the possibility to attend the lessons also remotely in synchronous mode (by the Teams platform). During the lessons, face-to-face situations will be alternated with interactive situations.
The lessons will also be usable in asynchronous mode because they will be uploaded on the Elly page of the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final exam is in written form with open questions given by the student about a chosen topic relating to a part of the course. From the answers given by the student, the teacher tests his/her ability to understand the physical properties of foods as related to technological steps. The teacher will assess the degree of understanding of the subject by the completeness of the responses and the ability of the student to establish connections between the various topics giving a score commensurate with the expressed understanding and capabilities that will be the score achieved for the overcoming of the module. Moreover, the teacher will continuously ask questions to the students during the lessons to understand the extent of comprehension of the class. Consequently, the final exam will verify the acquired knowledge of the class and the ability of students to apply such knowledge to the solution of case studies.
In the case of the necessity to integrate with the remote mode due to the persistence of the health emergency, the exams will be carried out through written questions in a remote mode.
Other information
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